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“You father was never certain wild magic was responsible for the anomalous nature of that spell until he went to your café. Before then, he was merely helping a friend regain what he had lost.” She carefully tugged her coat back on. “And it doesn’t answer the question as to why you’re now connected to the reservation’s wellspring.”
“The wellspring was unprotected when I arrived.” I shrugged. “It wasn’t an instant connection, but rather one that developed over time.”
And use. But I wasn’t about to add that.
“Which means your father, no matter how much he might wish, cannot make use of the gene in Juli’s children. Not without risking their lives, even if he was able to locate a newly risen or unguarded wellspring at the right time.”
“Which won’t stop him from trying, Mom.”
“Perhaps not, but I will. Until more is known about the reason for this gene adaption and the consequences the awakening of this power has in you—and whatever children you might have—I think it better to wait and watch.”
On that, I wholeheartedly agreed. And it was a major relief that on this matter, at least, she was on my side rather than his. “Are you going to tell him what happened here?”
Her smile briefly teased the corners of her silvery eyes. “Have you any idea of the power you raised tonight? Half of Canberra would have felt the vibrations of it.”
“Maybe, but they won’t know the cause.”
“Your father will, but he won’t release the information without there being some benefit to himself or our family. Right now, there is none.”
“Unless he uses it to force me into another marriage.”
Or, at the very least, continued to send a never-ending stream of “suitable” suitors my way in the vague hope that I’d crack and marry one of them just to get him off my back.
She laughed softly. “I think the days of forced marriages are well and truly over. The days of your father forcing you to do anything certainly are. You have grown strong since you left us, Elizabeth, and I do not refer to either your magic or your psi skills.”
Those damnable tears touched my eyes again. I blinked them away and glanced toward the dirt path at the sound of footsteps. “Samuel and his crew are almost here. It’s probably best if you remain sitting and wait for the ambu—”
“I will do no such thing,” she cut in sternly. “I am a part of this hunt, and I remain a part of it until this bastard is caught. I will not have you use the wound to sideline me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You know, if Aiden was here right now, he’d be saying I’m definitely my mother’s daughter.”
“And he’d be right,” she said. “Though it is not something I noticed until recently, much to my undying regret.”
There was absolutely nothing I could say to that. Not even a simple “It’s not too late for us.” Because, in all honesty, it might well be. There was a part of me that did want her in my life, but that would mean bringing Dad in as well, and that was something I absolutely did not want. No matter what punishment he received from the high council, it was never going to be enough to erase the hurt, the anger, and all those years of terrified running.
I could forgive Mom.
I could never—would never—forgive my dad.
I pushed to my feet, offered her a hand, then gently pulled her upright. “We should check on the others.”
She nodded and moved, rather stiffly, toward the center of the clearing. Ava was sitting beside her daughter, one arm slung around her shoulders while Belle treated her cut palm.
The men remained inside the inner protection circle but were in the process of dismantling the pentagram. The cups remained untouched in the center. A demon had drunk from one, and it would need special treatment before anyone dared touch it.
Ashworth tucked the last of the candles away and then said, “We need to get somewhere safe, because our wraith will be seriously pissed, and he’ll come after us with everything he’s got.”
“And what he hasn’t got right now is a demon to give him a power boost,” I said. “After that dust storm, and summoning what looked to be an entire cemetery, he’s going to need recovery time—”
“And so will you,” Eli said. “Especially after that light show you put on. We’re all well aware of the toll that’ll take on you.”
“I’m still standing, and I intend to remain so until this bastard is caught.”
“And in that reply, I hear echoes of me.” Mom lightly—briefly—caught my hand and squeezed it. “But trust me when I say that running on empty is never a good thing. And before you mention it, I am wounded physically not magically. There is a difference."
I knew that. Just as I knew I would undoubtedly crash. But not just yet. Perhaps it was the lingering high of all that wild magic that had coursed through me, but I actually felt almost normal, strength-wise.
Almost.
